Xmas Giftfics
by Jediempress
Summary: These are my ChristmasHoilday presents to various people who have supported me over the past year. Much love to everyone who has read andor reviewed, I wish I could do something for all of you! Each are based on two names, two words. Complete.
1. Master Doggeh

A few notes before we start: First, these are not betaed so there will likely be many errors. Second, these are totally random thoughts and ideas I got from the prompts given, don't expect brilliance. I just wanted to have fun with these and I hope those they were written for enjoy them. Thirdly, they are not titled. The names at the top are who they were written for. Fourth, I still don't freakin' own these people. …And lastly, please have wonderful holidays for me, okay?

Now with that said…

Master Doggeh-

There was an insistent pounding on Axel's door and the redhead tried to ignore by covering his ears with his pillow. While this muffled the sound, it did not manage to drown it out. When his head began to throb to the steady rhythm, he gave up and rolled himself off the bed.

With heavy, deliberate steps he headed for the door. Whoever this was better have a damn good reason for bothering him. If not, he was going to toast them. Hitting the lock, he threw the door open.

Demyx grinned brightly at him. "Hey, Axel."

The fire-wielder sighed and turned away. "Not in the mood, Demyx."

The grin faltered. "Come on, Axel. You've got to stop brooding like this."

"I'm not brooding." Axel countered, throwing himself back down on his bed.

"Fine, sulking." Demyx entered the room and leaned against the wall next to the door. "Same diff."

Axel stared at the ceiling. "You know what his last words to me were? _No one would miss me._ Can you believe that? I guess I really didn't mean anything to him."

"You know that isn't true."

"No, I don't."

Demyx moved away from the wall. He approached the bed and swatted at Axel's arm. "Come on."

Axel narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Come on, I have something to show you."

"Dem, I really don't want-"

"Don't care." Demyx cut him off with an unusually stern tone. "Let's go."

There was a brief stare down but Axel gave in deciding he just did not want to spend the energy arguing. He left the bed and picked up his coat from where he had thrown it on the floor two days ago. "Where are we going?"

There was an odd sparkle in Demyx eyes. "You'll see."

The musician opened a corridor and motioned Axel forward. The redhead wordlessly stepped in, Demyx right behind him. They emerged a few minutes later, Demyx in the lead, on a snow covered hill.

Axel immediately shivered. "Fuck! It's freezing!"

"It's not that cold." Demyx countered.

Below them, Twilight Town spread out, also blanketed in white. Buildings were decorated with lights and the street lamps had ropes of green wound around them. Each was topped with a large red bow. The tram had a wreath tied to its front.

Axel's voice matched how cold it was out. "Why the hell did you bring me here?"

Demyx's answer was simple. "…Because you need to see this."

He began walking down the hill as Axel shouted. "See what?"

Demyx did not answer and after a minute, Axel followed him, hands stuffed in his pockets. This was the absolute last place he wanted to be. If this had something to do with Roxas, he was going to kill Demyx.

"This better be the real Twilight Town, Dem." Axel muttered as they entered town. "We promised Namine we wouldn't mess with that fake one."

Small brownstones lined the street they walked down. Faint laughter drifted from an upcoming side-street. Demyx did not look back. "This won't take long."

Damn it all. They were in that world forsaken place. That meant this was about Roxas. Axel did not want to see the younger Nobody who had abandoned the Organization, had abandoned _him_.

"I don't want to be here, Demyx." Axel stopped and turned to leave.

The blonde ran over and gripped Axel's arm. He was angrily shaken off. "Come on, Axel. This is really important."

"I don't want to see him!" The redhead shouted. "Not only did he just run off on me, he doesn't even _remember_ doing it! He has no idea who we are anymore! He's completely forgotten me!"

"Do you really believe that?" Demyx looked at him steadily.

Axel glanced away bitterly. "I told you what Namine said."

A faint smile tugged at Demyx's mouth. "She was wrong."

Axel's face twisted up in confusion. "What?"

He took Axel's hand and pulled him forward. They stopped at the corner house and Demyx edged his upper half around the edge. "All right, switch places with me and just watch and listen."

Axel closed his eyes a moment before moving to take Demyx's position. He forced himself to look around the house and fought not break down. Roxas was a house down, running around the plowed street with his new friends and a tiny puppy.

He looked so happy, so free.

"I can't believe your mom actually got you a dog for Christmas!" The girl with him exclaimed, laughing as the red-furred creature chased after a black-haired boy. "He's so cute!"

"I was surprised, too." Roxas grinned. "After all that fuss she made about it."

A taller blonde teen stood off to the side, watching as the puppy managed to latch on to the dark-haired boy's pant leg causing him to trip. The small dog released him, play growling. Some of its red fur spiked up along the back of its neck. The tall boy laughed. "He's a tough little thing."

"Yeah," agreed Roxas.

"So what are you going to name him?"

"Axel."

The observing Nobody started. If he had a heart, he was certain it would have stopped. Roxas could not have just said…

"Why Axel?" The girl queried.

Roxas shrugged. "I don't know. I just saw the red fur and his fiery personality and the name just came to me, clear as anything."

Axel had to stop watching. He pulled back and pressed his back against the front of the house. He closed his eyes and ordered himself to calm. "He… remembers."

Demyx grinned. "Yeah. It may only be subconsciously but the point is, you are important enough to him to have left a permanent mark on him."

Axel felt the first smile in a long time pull at his lips. He opened his eyes and turned to Demyx. There was genuine gratitude in his voice. "Thanks, Dem."

"Merry Christmas, Axel."


	2. Stellar Eclipse

StellarEclipse

"Zack?" Cloud called quietly from the doorway. "Can I talk to you a minute?"

The older man lifted an eyebrow, noting the oddly intense look to Cloud's expression. "Uh, sure, Spike."

He exchanged a quick glance with Leon. The other man was also curious as to what this was about. Zack gave a brief grin before moving away to follow Cloud out of the room.

They met up on the back porch, Cloud crossing it to press both hands to the rail. The blond stared out across the yard, seemingly oblivious to the cold. Then again, he likely was. Mako had made both men highly resistant to the elements.

Zack folded his arms and angled his head. "So, what's up?"

Cloud sighed. "Promise you won't make any sarcastic remarks."

The First Class would have been highly amused if it were not for the tone of Cloud's voice. Whatever this was about, he was very serious about it. "Sure, Spike."

"Last night," Cloud began slowly. "I had a dream about you."

Zack scrunched up his face. "Okay."

There was another heavy sigh. "It was an erotic dream, Zack."

Zack waited a moment. "Oh."

"I was talking in my sleep; Riku heard the whole thing."

The older man blew out a breath. "Whoa. I don't imagine he took it very well."

"No."

Zack remained quiet for a few minutes. Obviously, Cloud was looking for some kind of guidance but he was not sure what he could tell him. He could not help but feel a bit excited to know that Cloud still felt that way about him, even if it was subconsciously. He knew he was still attracted to Cloud despite the fact that they both knew without a doubt their time was over.

"You know, psychologically it's not all that uncommon to occasionally fantasize about your exes."

"I know that." Cloud turned and leaned on the rail. "…But Riku, it's all new for him and he's already so insecure. He was so… scared this morning. He got violent about it, screaming and crying. I didn't know what I could do or say that would convince him that it was just a dream; that I wasn't going to go running off with you on a whim."

"He really thinks you're going to leave him for me?" Zack bit his lip. "If you were going to do that, it would have happened already."

"I told him that but he's just not listening." The blond flicked his blue eyes up to actually look at Zack for the first time since they had come out here. "What's really bothering me more than anything is how angry I am at him."

Zack understood right away why Cloud was angry. He dropped his arms and took a few steps forward. "It's so easy to forget he's still a kid."

"This is his first relationship. Not only that, he was just so _young_ when we got together. There's just so much…" Cloud trailed off. "I don't think he realizes how terrified _I_ am that he's the one who's going to leave me on a whim. That he's going to find someone his own age and he'll be gone."

Zack met Cloud's eyes squarely. "You know that's not going to happen."

Cloud looked away. "I guess."

"You _guess_?" Zack repeated incredulously. "Look at me, Cloud."

It took a minute but the younger man glanced over.

"Stop thinking with that screwed up, self-loathing mind of yours. If Riku was here I'd tell him the exact same thing." Zack spoke confidently. "When it comes to both of you, you need to keep your brains out of it and simply use your hearts because that's where you're going to find all of your answers."

He took a few steps forward and stopped less than a foot from Cloud. "Now, what is your heart telling you?"

The blonde worried his lower lip for a moment. "Riku is my heart."

Zack smiled. "There you go."

Cloud nodded, a faint smile coming to his own mouth. "Thank you, Zack."

"That's what I'm here for." Zack folded his arms and lifted a black eyebrow. "Now, do you need me to go kick Riku's heart into gear or do you think you can handle that?"

"I can do it." Cloud hesitated then embraced Zack tightly. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Zack allowed himself a moment to enjoy having the blonde in his arms again. He quickly moved away and threw a cocky grin on his face. "Yeah, yeah. Go have your make-up sex and try not to irritate the neighbors too much doing it."

Cloud nodded again and left the porch through the house. Zack heard the front door open and close and sighed, letting his shoulders slump. He laughed at himself as he turned to enter the house and find Leon.

If only he could take his own advice.


	3. Xejicka

Xejicka-

Reno snorted into his glass. "I'm getting really bored with the whole damn thing, yo."

"Oh, it's totally old now." Axel agreed from beside the Turk. He took a long drink from his bottle and slammed it back down. "So we've got the same hair color."

"…And our voices are similar." Reno pointed with glass in hand.

"Don't forget the tattoos."

"Oh, yeah." Reno angled his head at the other redhead. "Why do you have those, yo?"

Axel shrugged. "I came with them. Riku says they look like gang markings for how many people you've killed."

"Oh, yeah? That's kinda cool, yo." Reno turned his head. "I got mine cause I was a dumb kid in the slums trying to prove how tough I was. Got tired of being called pretty."

"You should have just kicked their asses."

Reno laughed. "I got into fights every fuckin' day, man. That's one of the reasons the Turks recruited me, yo."

"Yeah, same here with me and the Organization." Axel chuckled, holding up a hand and letting tiny flames leap between his fingers. At Tifa's narrowed eyes, he doused them and gave her an apologetic grin that they all knew he did not mean.

Marlene and Denzel came barreling down the stairs and stopped on the bottom step. Both looked at the two men with vibrant red hair sitting at the bar. Marlene's face scrunched up in thought.

"Who's he?" She was clearing referring to Axel.

The Nobody smirked and gave a small wave. "The name's Axel. Got it memorized?"

Denzel cocked his head to the side. "Are you and Reno-"

Reno gestured animatedly. "He's not my Nobody! I never became a Heartless, yo!"

Both children frowned in confusion. "What's a Nobody?"

"Wait." Reno's lip twisted. He glanced at Tifa who was watching this in mild amusement. He looked back at the kids. "What were you going ask?"

Denzel seemed upset that he had been cut off earlier but finished his question. "I was going to ask if you two were twins."

"Twins?" Reno echoed, turning toward Axel.

Axel thought about it for a moment. He shrugged at Reno and lifted his bottle. "Sure, kid, I can handle that."

Reno simply nodded. He could deal with being Axel's twin.


	4. AnnaethGreenleaf

Note: This pairing now has a name thanks to Riku-Rocks. It's Zakoru, after their Japanese names.

AnnaethGreenleaf-

"Why are we doing this?" Zack complained for the third time that hour.

Leon simply continued hammering.

Zack sighed and restarted his task. A small section of the roof of the library had somehow been overlooked for repairs and was now leaking. Under normal circumstances, Zack would have had no issue being out here, up on the rooftop with Leon working away. He rather liked helping with all the rebuilding.

However, they were sitting in nearly a foot of snow with a layer of ice beneath that they had had to clear out to get to the weak spot. It was freezing cold and Zack's pants had long since become soaked through. A bitter wind occasionally blew up threatening to topple them.

…And to top it all off, it was Christmas Eve.

A few minutes passed and Zack straightened, rolling his shoulders. "I'm finished here."

"Yeah, I just have to get these last few nails in," muttered Leon. There were several taps. "Done."

"Good. Let's blow this joint." The raven-haired man began gathering up tools with numbing fingers.

Leon watched him a moment before doing likewise. Once collected, they cautiously made their way across the roof, Zack heading down the access ladder first. He was so tired and cold, he could not even bring himself to appreciate the sight of Leon climbing down after him. All he wanted was to get home and into warm, dry clothes.

They walked down the hall, past several bookcases. On the way to the staircase to the main floor, Leon glanced at Zack. "Thanks for coming out here. I know that was the last thing you wanted to do today."

Zack waved it off. "It had to be done. I just want to get home, dry out and drink about a liter of hot cider."

"That sounds really good," agreed the younger man. "I'm tempted to blow off going to Cloud and Riku's tonight but Riku would go Jenova on our asses."

"Definitely." They walked down the stairs. "…And Spike would help."

At the bottom step, they noticed a small, brightly wrapped box sitting on the circulation desk. Zack flicked his eyes at Leon and stepped ahead of him. He picked up the box and read the tag. "Hey, it's for us."

"Why would someone leave us a present here?" Leon frowned, taking the item from Zack to look over the tag himself. "I don't recognize the writing."

"Well, open it." Zack urged. "I wanna know what we got."

Leon lifted an eyebrow in mild amusement. "You're worse than Riku, Sora, and Yuffie."

"I like getting presents." Zack leaned against the desk, holding out his hand. "You open it or I will."

Leon tore open a corner and unfolded the flap. He then broke apart the seam and undid the other side. Zack rolled his eyes at the methodical procedure but simply watched on. Once the paper was removed, Leon handed it over to Zack and looked over the plain white box.

He pulled open the top and glanced in. A faint smile tugged at his lips along with a light laugh. Shaking his head, he laughed.

"What?" Zack asked impatiently, moving forward to try to look in the box himself.

Leon removed the object and held it up. "Mistletoe."

"Mistletoe?" The ex-SOLDIER repeated. "Who would have left us that?"

Leon shrugged. He took a step closer to Zack. "Does it matter?"

An ebony eyebrow lifted as Leon moved in even closer. "Well, I suppose it's the thought that counts."

"I like useful gifts."

Zack grinned. He reached out and pulled Leon against his body. He was not nearly as cold as he had been. In fact, he was quite warm now. "So do I."

The older man removed the mistletoe from Leon's hand and held it over his head. "I like using my presents right away."

He dropped his head down a bit and Leon met his mouth in a needy kiss. They only parted when they needed air, keeping their faces close. Zack smirked as he whispered. "Ready to go home?"

Leon nodded, his steel-colored eyes bright. Zack wrapped an arm around his waist and the couple turned to leave the library. This Christmas was turning out much better then it had begun.


	5. Sassy Aloo

Sassy-Aloo-

Demyx watched as Sora, Huey, Dewy, and Louie jumped the steps and low walls of the Bailey on skateboards. The former Nobody had seen the kids in Twilight Town do the same thing and had wanted to try it. However, he was simply too shy to ask.

The sun was just starting to set for the day and after one last trick by each of them, the duckling triplets said their good byes and headed for home. Sora rolled his board down the stairs and upon seeing Demyx grinned. He kicked up his board and walked over.

"Hey, Dem!" The spiky brunette greeted with a wave.

"Hi, Sora." Demyx shifted his weight. He was still rather uncomfortable around the Keyblade Master and most of the others. They all treated him kindly but there was a bit of wariness to it. For the most part, he stuck with Reno and occasionally Riku.

"Where's Reno?" The boy asked, stopping before the dark blond.

"He had something to do with Rude," shrugged Demyx. "He said it was top secret."

Sora rolled his eyes. "Then we probably don't want to know."

"Heh, yeah." The musician chuckled lowly. He rubbed at the back of his head, glancing away. The few really long bangs he had swayed before his face. He had been wanting to talk to Sora and figured now was as good as of a time as any. "Hey, uh, Sora? I want to say I'm sorry."

The brunet angled his head, expression confused. "For what?"

"Well, uh, you know." Demyx shrugged some. "Attacking and trying to kill you and all that."

Sora's features brightened. "Oh, that? Whatever. I know you didn't really mean it."

Demyx looked at him sharply. "…But I did mean it…Kinda. I mean, I didn't want you dead or really badly hurt but…"

Sora sighed and moved to lean against the wall beside Demyx. "You were angry because I existed and Roxas couldn't. You were told I was the answer to all of you desires to become whole, to get a heart. I understand, Dem."

The former Nobody stared at him. The boy was absolutely serious. There was so much compassion in Sora's eyes when he looked at Demyx that the blond choked up. He was not even sure why.

Sora smiled. "So, are we cool now?"

Demyx slowly nodded.

"Good." The teen moved away from the wall. "Wanna go get hot dogs for dinner? They're really good."

"Uh, sure. I haven't had those yet." Demyx eyed Sora's skateboard as he raised it up to carry it by the middle.

"Cool. After we'll get ice cream and then we'll skateboarding or something." Sora laughed. "We'll just hang out."

"I don't know how to skateboard." Demyx sighed sadly.

Sora gaped. "Seriously? You totally look like the skateboarding type!"

Demyx shook his head.

"Well, then I'll have to get you a board and teach you."

Now Demyx gaped. "You mean it? You'll get me my own skateboard?"

"Yeah, we'll call it a welcome back to life present."

Demyx squeed in delight and the pair walked off to Zell's hot dog stand.


	6. Sarieu

Sarieu-

Aerith could not stifle the laugh that came to her when Cloud appeared on her front porch. His blonde hair was nearly black and everywhere his skin was exposed was streaked the same color. His clothes were caked in mud.

"Don't." He glowered.

She turned from the hanging flower basket she had been watering. "What happened?"

Cloud sighed. "I don't know. One minute, I'm shoveling along in the courtyard and everything is fine. Next thing I know, I'm covered in mud. I thing the Gullwings were behind it."

She angled her head. "Why them?"

"I saw them talking to Yuffie this morning." The blonde tugged at his shirt. "She swore vengeance on me last week for the Quarry Incident."

Aerith had heard about that from Cid. "Well, come in and get cleaned up. I'm sure I can find something for you to wear."

She held the door open and shooed him in. He gave her a grateful smile as he came up the few steps. Carefully removing his boots at the door, he straightened and entered the house.

Aerith shook her head in amusement before following him. "Now go right upstairs and get in the shower. Leave those filthy things by the door."

Cloud did as instructed, climbing the stairs quickly. He had been to the house enough times to know exactly where he was going. He turned to the right, flicking on the lights.

Closing the door behind him, he shed off his soiled clothes. He left them inside out to minimize the amount of dried mud that was flaking off getting all over. Folding them up into a semi-neat pile on the floor, he went over to the shower and turned on the water. Once it was sufficiently hot, he got in and began washing.

After a few minutes, there was a soft knock. The door cracked open and Aerith informed him that there were clean clothes on the counter and she was taking the others to put them in the laundry. He quietly thanked her and she left. He smiled to himself as he rinsed out his spiked hair. He really adored that woman.

Finishing up, he shut off the water and reached for a towel. He saw the neatly folded stack of clothes near the sink and frowned. Those looked like Leon's jeans. Why did Aerith have those? Cloud had figured he would end up with something Cid had left behind when he moved out.

He took the towel off the rack and dried off. When he was sure he would not drip all over the floor, he left the shower and padded over to the clothing. He knew they were going to be a little snug; he was built a bit thicker than Leon but they would work.

He had his own boxers still, thankfully, and after slipping them on he pulled on the dark jeans. They ended up not being too tight for Leon usually wore them loosely, unlike his leathers. Cloud stuffed his hands into the pockets to straighten the pockets out and paused.

In the right one, he felt a small square, not-quite-flat package. He pulled it from the pocket and stared in disbelief. Why the hell was there a condom in Leon's jeans pocket?

He knew the obvious answer and with just about anyone else Cloud would write it off but these were _Leon's_ pants. Leon, who appeared to have the sex drive of… well, for awhile now it had been questioned if he even had one. He had never shown any real interest in anyone romantically or sexually.

This killed that theory. Cloud found himself growing morbidly curious as to who the sable-haired man had intended to use this with. Then he circled back to his original question: why did Aerith have his clothes?

He froze in shock. Oh, no, he was _not_ going to let his next thought fully develop. It was not possible. It simply could not be what he was beginning to suspect. They would not do that.

With that thought firmly in place, he stuffed the condom back into the pocket. He threw on the t-shirt, noting unhappily how it clung to his chest. That was going to draw unwanted attention. Now dressed, he hung the towel back up and left the bathroom.

"Cloud?" Aerith's voice drifted up from downstairs. "Could you get the empty basket from my bedroom?"

"Yeah," he called back and turned toward the room. He walked in and saw the basket near the bedside table. He approached it casually, bending a bit to take the handle.

The nightstand's drawer was partially open and he actually gasped, dropping the basket. He fished in the jeans pocket and again took out the condom wrapper. In the drawer sat a box of the same brand. What the hell?

He could not stay here anymore. The right-turns were coming way too fast for him. He moved to leave the room, stopping to turn back and grab the basket again. He darted from the room and hurried downstairs. He rounded the railing and set the basket on the coffee table.

Aerith entered the room with that soft smile of hers. "Feel better?"

Hell, no. "Yeah, thanks." Cloud looked away. "I'm, uh, gonna head back out."

"Okay. I'll have your clothes done by dinner." She informed him. "Oh! Tell Leon I will need his help with that shelf in my room."

Cloud managed not to react. He simply nodded and muttered a _thanks._ He left the house and stopped on the doorstep to collect himself. He took a deep breath and headed for the courtyard.

He had some questions for Leon.


	7. BossKaz009

Boss-Koz-009-

Axel squared his shoulders and knocked on the door before him. A minute passed and he repeated the motion, a bit more insistently. After yet another minute, he pounded once. "Come on! I know you're in there, bitch!"

The door flung open and Larxene leaned against the frame. A wicked smile crossed her face. "Well, well, Axel. Finally give up on the boy?"

"Forget it, Larx," snapped Axel. "I'm not here for you."

The smile disappeared and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then why are you here?"

Axel blew out a breath. "I need your help."

"Oh, really?" She smirked. Reached out a hand, she traced the zipper of his coat with a finger. "…And why would I want to help you?"

"Because you want revenge on Xaldin, too."

All amusement left her face and an almost psychotic gleam entered her eyes. She turned back into her room and motioned for Axel to follow. She dropped down on her bed, supporting her weight on her hands behind her and crossing her legs. "Talk."

Axel folded his arms. "You don't need to know the details."

Larxene threw her head back and laughed. It came back up almost immediately, double strands of blonde hair falling forward. "He did something to poor little Roxy, didn't he?"

The redhead only glared. "Are you going to help or not?"

"All right," The only female member of the Organization leapt back off the bed. "You have a plan?"

"Of course," Axel grinned. "When don't I?"

She walked up to him and ran a finger along his tattooed face. She smiled at him flirtatiously. "It's a shame you're so hung up on the kid. You're the only one here I like."

Axel smirked and brought his lips to whisper in her ear. "Too bad I know you're an evil, sadistic bitch. I might have actually liked you, too."

She sighed contentedly before abruptly turning, expression cold. She opened her door and stepped out. "Let us find Xaldin."

"Right behind you."


	8. RikuRocks

Riku-Rocks-

"Leonhart. I hear you have been looking for me."

Leon did not turn. "Yes."

Sephiroth tilted his head curiously. There was a long list of possible things the younger man could want to see him for. Judging by the slight terseness to Leon's stance, whatever this was about it was of great importance. This could prove entertaining.

"It's about Riku."

A single silver eyebrow rose. "What about him?"

Leon was still not facing him. "Do you plan to make trouble for him?"

"Trouble?" Sephiroth frowned. "What would I gain from such an endeavor?"

Sable-colored hair flared out as Leon turned. Steel eyes met faded green harshly. "You know what I mean, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes marginally. His shoulder wing twitched lazily as he regarded the other man's question. "Why are you so concerned over whatever intentions I may have for my son?"

Leon set his jaw. "He has been through enough already."

The former general watched Leon's expression carefully. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Well, isn't this an interesting development."

Leon glared.

"He's a bit young for you, don't you think?" The winged man smirked. "You are taking quite a risk confronting me about Riku. I could very easily kill you for even looking at him."

"…But you won't." The former SeeD spoke calmly and with complete confidence.

Sephiroth barely shrugged as he turned. "Riku seems to reciprocate the affection."

Leon folded his arms, watching Sephiroth's long hair flutter behind him as he paced a few steps away. Why did the older man suddenly turn and move away? Something in his tone had changed also.

Sephiroth whirled back around, feline eyes fixed directly on Leon. "Of course, taking you from him would undoubtedly cause him to break. He would be lost again and I would be able to rebuild him."

Leon managed not to give any physical reaction to the man's abrupt change in attitude. Inside was a completely different story. He knew, should Sephiroth seriously attack him, he did not stand a chance.

Sephiroth's expression was cold but his voice had again taken a curious tone. He slowly and deliberately walked toward Leon. "Would you die for him? If your death were enough to ensure his safety, would you willingly surrender your life?"

"There is no such guarantee."

"Very good." Sephiroth stood a mere foot from Leon now, eyes boring down at him. "You are not as foolish as Strife was. It is a shame I had to destroy him but he simply would not learn…"

"Cloud did what he thought was right." Leon snarled, his control slipping. "He died to protect your son from you."

"Yes." Sephiroth's wing twitched again. "All of you seem to believe that Riku is not strong enough on his own. That troubles me greatly."

Leon looked up sharply.

"You tell the boy how strong he is, assure him that he can conquer his darkness and my legacy and yet, every one of you coddle him. What hypocrites you are."

The son of Jenova again turned away. "As to your original question, my position remains the same. I am simply waiting for the boy to come to me willingly. It is not necessary to create _trouble_ for him."

Sephiroth flew gracefully upward. He gazed down upon Leon with a small smile. "I recommend you spend as much time with my son as you can, Leonhart. You're chance to die for him will be coming sooner than you think."


	9. Jao Ensatsu Kokuryu

Jao Ensatsu Kokuryuha-

"I swear if Sora isn't seriously injured, I will kill him." Cloud grumbled. "I don't care if he is your best friend."

Riku didn't bother to look over, eying the rock walls around them warily. The tunnel they walked through was rather low ceilinged, enough so that even Cloud had to slouch at points. Every once in a while the wood bracers supporting the walls and ceiling settled, a few loose stones breaking free.

"Why was Sora in here in the first place?" Cloud continued, glancing down at his arm. The large gash he had received earlier from a large falling rock had been mostly healed but an angry scar lingered.

"I don't know," muttered Riku. He paused, a distracted look coming to his eyes. "Where are you, Sora?"

After a moment he began walking again. Cloud followed quietly, still trying to wrap his mind around how the two of them ended up wandering through abandoned diamond mines that were on the verge of collapse. All he knew was that Riku had suddenly announced that Sora was in trouble and they needed to find him.

Abruptly, Riku pushed him against the wall and threw up a dark shield. There was a small raining down of crumbled rock and gravel. When the dust settled, aqua eyes met blue with a trace of amusement. "You said you were bored."

"This isn't the kind of excitement I had in mind." Cloud retorted dryly.

"I know." Riku kissed the older man lightly. "As soon as we find Sora and get the hell out of here, I promise you some real entertainment."

"It better include that trick you do with your tongue."

Riku took his arm and they began walking again. "…And then some. Sora's up ahead."

They continued on, Riku becoming increasingly confident on their direction. Around them, the earth continued to shift. After ten minutes they reached a dead end. At least that was what it appeared to be.

Riku looked over the rubble. "The cavern opening must have collapsed. Sora's behind this."

Cloud nodded. He pressed a hand to one of the larger chunks of rock. It gave a bit and he reached behind him for one of the three swords he had brought with. "This should cut through hot enough to melt the stone a bit but there's no way to know how long it will hold."

"Then we better do this fast." Riku took a few steps back. "Cut high and narrow."

Cloud fell into position, not glancing back. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

The blade in Cloud's hand glowed orange and he made five concise slices into the rock. The opening created was not very large but it did not need to be. While the stone was still hot, Riku ducked in.

Cloud waited on the outside in case the entryway collapsed. He paced a bit, fingers working the grip of his sword. There was another shifting of earth and the rubble moved but the make-shift archway held.

Ten minutes after going in, Riku pushed Sora through. The brunet teen had some bruising to his face and a heavy limp. There was a freshly healed scar running down his left leg. "Hi, Cloud."

"What the hell were you doing down here?"

The boy opened one of his large shorts pockets. It was completely filled with diamonds. "I told Scrooge I'd get these for him."

"So now you're a treasure hunter?" Cloud stated irritably. "Doesn't he have enough munny?"

"He bought the mine from the seven dwarfs," Sora explained, closing up the pocket. "He's going to open a jewelry store. Originally, the Gullwings were going to come here and check the mine out but he realized they were likely to take all the diamonds for themselves so he asked me."

"Let's walk as you explain," Riku took hold of Sora's arm to help him walk. "This place is unstable as hell."

"I noticed." Sora grinned at his best friend sheepishly. "Thanks for finding me."

"You're an idiot for coming out here by yourself."

"I really didn't think it was going to be dangerous. I made it to the main chamber just fine." Sora shrugged awkwardly. "I was getting ready to leave when there was a rumble and half the ceiling caved in on me."

"You're just lucky that you and Riku have that weird psychic connection." Cloud commented.

"Yeah, I could have been stuck in there a long time."

A loud thundering sound echoed from behind them and sand and gravel began pouring down. The noise grew louder and the three exchanged looks. Without word, they began running.

The tunnel collapsed behind them, rapidly catching up to them. Several small rocks fell on their heads and shoulders while some rolled out from the avalanche, threatening to trip them up. Sora stumbled almost taking Riku down with him. Cloud whipped his arm out to steady them and Riku simply picked Sora up and carried him.

They shot through the wood framed mine entrance just as the entire thing collapsed.

Riku dropped Sora and hunched over, hands braced on his knees. Sora sat on the ground, shaking a bit in reaction. Cloud took a few deep breaths and glared at Sora.

The younger teen felt the eyes on him and bit his lip. "I'm sorry."

"We are _not_ doing this again."

Riku straightened, finally catching his breath. "Well, that was certainly more excitement than I expected for today."

Sora stood, favoring his right side. He spoke a healing spell that covered all three of them. "I really am sorry, guys. Here," he dug in his jacket pocket, "I picked these out for you. I figured you could get rings or something made of them."

He held out his hand and two small blue diamonds sparkled in his palm. "Scrooge said I could keep a few for as payment but I saw these and thought they suited you."

Riku stepped over along with Cloud. "Wow, Sor. Those are gorgeous."

"Well, here," Sora dropped them in Riku's hand. "They're both of yours now."

"Are you sure?" Cloud asked quietly, earlier anger gone.

Sora shrugged and grinned. "What am I gonna do with diamonds?"

He turned and began walking for the Gummi ship. "Can we go home now?"

Riku glanced at Cloud as he placed the precious stones in one of his zippered pockets. He took hold of Cloud's hand and grinned slyly. "Yeah, I promised someone some excitement."

"Wasn't that enough?" Sora twisted around and when he saw the look Riku was giving the blond, groaned. "Ugh, it's going to be a long trip."


	10. BlackIceNinja

BlackIceNinja-

Zell eyed the man walking beside him warily. He had only had two prior interactions with the tall, intimidating, impossibly long silver haired man with the three wings prior to this. He was not sure why he had been asked specifically to help the man on whatever this mission they were now on was.

"So, uh, where are we going?" The blond asked casually, zipped up his coat further. It was a rather blustery day and snow occasionally blew across the roof tops, sprinkling the marketplace with shiny crystals.

Sephiroth seemed to be completely unaffected by the weather. "You will know when we arrive."

"Okay." Zell stuffed his hands into his pockets. He was really getting worried about this.

They crossed the marketplace, Sephiroth receiving several concerned looks and more than a few parents tugged their children closer. If this was the normal reaction he got, it was no wonder he avoided town. The winged man's eyes remained rigidly fixed before them but his shoulder wing twitched.

"I get you're kinda scary looking and all that but man you would think they'd be used to seeing you around by now." Zell commented.

"It doesn't matter what these people think." Sephiroth snapped out rather quickly. "I have been accepted by the only ones whose opinion counts."

"It's still gotta hurt to be looked at as some kind of freak."

Sephiroth was silent a moment. Very quietly, he conceded. "It does."

Zell lifted an eyebrow at the man's sudden candor. Of all the things that had run through his mind this morning as possible activities for the day, having a heart-to-heart with Sephiroth had not been one of them. This whole experience was strange.

They stopped before a leather clothing store. Zell scrunched up his face and looked up at the man beside him. "Why are we here?"

The corner of Sephiroth's mouth curled up. There was a rather nervous quality to it. "You are Leon's best friend, correct?"

"Well, yeah." Zell shrugged. "Why?"

"I intend to purchase him a new jacket."

The ex-SeeD stared at him. "Why?"

"He needs one and it's Christmas."

Zell continued to stare. "So the rumors about Squall and you are true?"

"I need your assistance to pick one out." Sephiroth continued, not answering the question. "You know him better than anyone else here."

Zell rubbed at the back of his head. "Well, I guess…"

A silver eyebrow lifted and a smirk lit Sephiroth's face. "Do you doubt your ability to choose an appropriate gift for your friend?"

"No, but obviously you can't pick out something for your _boyfriend_." Zell grumbled.

Sephiroth's grin was truly wicked. "Having sex repeatedly with someone does not make them your boyfriend."

Zell sputtered for nearly a full minute. He raised his hands and shook his head. "I did _not_ need to know that. What the hell is Squall thinking…?"

"You will have to take that up with him." The former general's expression evened out and he motioned toward the door. "Now, let us find a jacket for my toy."


	11. ShroudedObsession

Shrouded-obsession-

Zack stood alone before the small marker, rain gently pelting his shoulders. It always seemed to rain on these kinds of days, as if the heavens themselves were mourning. The others had left some time ago, Aerith lingering a little while longer. She had placed a light hand on his arm and offered a faint smile before she also left.

He should have come sooner…

A smaller hand gripped his and he did not need to look over to know who it was. He squeezed the hand tightly. "I should have been here."

"It wouldn't have made a difference."

"Maybe not." He muttered. "But I could have seen him one more time. I could have told him everything… Why did I stay away, Riku?"

The silver-haired teen beside him worried his lower lip. "You weren't ready, Zack. You needed time to adjust to everything yourself."

"I guess." Zack conceded.

Riku sighed and looked up at the man's face. "We make our choices and deal with the consequences."

The raven-haired man smirked. "Fine time to throw my words back at me."

"You loved to shove them down my throat when I didn't want to hear them. I'm just returning the favor."

Zack released his hand to wrap his arm around the teen's narrow waist. Riku dropped his head against the older man's shoulder. They stood quietly together for several long moments. "Spike would have loved you."

"You think so?" Riku studied the marker stone before them. "It sounds to me like we had so much in common we would have hated one another."

"At first you would have." Zack laughed softly. "But I bet if you had met him under the right circumstances, you would have totally fallen for him."

"I doubt that."

Zack glanced down. "Have I yet to be wrong about anything involving you?"

"No."

"…And I know Cloud even better." The mirth abruptly disappeared. "That is, I knew…"

The ex-SOLDIER let out a breath, trying to exhale some of his anguish. "I really didn't think he could die. Sephiroth should have killed him at least half a dozen times but he always somehow escaped death. I never thought for once…"

He was not aware he was actually crying until Riku reached up and wiped the tears away. The rain had lessened greatly and the sun was trying to break through the clouds. Violet-hued eyes met with expressive aqua and he somehow gained strength from it.

Zack gave the teen a very light kiss and moved away from him. He knelt down directly before the memorial stone and dropped his forehead against it. He remained there for a few minutes, silently making his last farewell.

He stood and turned, walking back over to Riku. The boy wrapped him in a tight embrace and managed a grin. Zack pulled back, keeping an arm along Riku's shoulders. The rain stopped and the light finally broke through.

They walked quietly away from the gravesite.


	12. ChibiFrubaGirl

ChibiFrubaGirl-

Demyx turned on his side, propping his head up on a hand. He studied the profile beside him, a soft smile coming to his face. "You know, I bet people could write a million songs and still never accurately describe you."

The sixteen-year-old flicked his eyes over and gave a slightly embarrassed laugh. "What?"

"You are just so… beautiful and _complicated_."

Riku snorted lightly and returned his gaze to the ceiling. "Being complicated is a bad thing, Demyx."

"I don't think so." The Nobody countered. He reached over and gently touched the boy's chin, guiding the face toward him. "Your eyes truly are your greatest feature. You can see into your very soul, your very heart."

"I know," whispered Riku. "What do you think the blindfold was for?"

"You know what I find the most fascinating though?" Demyx continued. "The way they change. Sometimes, when they're more green, it's like they become cloudy, obscuring your inner light. That's the only time your hard to read.

"…But then, when they're more blue, that light just shines through. It's as if that thin veil of darkness that tries to shade them simply cannot contain it. It's such a unique thing that's so perfectly you."

The teen bit his lip, obviously feeling incredibly shy now. He stared at the grass between them for a moment. Sitting up, he looked off into the distance. "You're very strange, Demyx."

The blond musician also sat up. "Why?"

"You just are." Riku smiled and looked at him. "But I like you for that strangeness."

Demyx leaned forward, brushing away silver bangs and kissed the boy's forehead. "It's totally the truth."

Riku snorted lightly. "You gonna try to write one of those songs?"

Demyx grinned. "I just might."


	13. InuAkiko

Last one of these. Thanks to everyone who has read. I hope they were at least enjoyable.

InuAkiko-

Zack kicked the door shut behind him with a soaked boot. He shivered a moment, teeth chattering. "It's a freakin' blizzard out there!"

Leon looked up from the easy chair. His expression was a mix of anger and relief. "Where have you been?"

The older man set the stack of tins he held on the side table and smirked at Leon. "Aww, were you worried about me?"

Leon scowled.

Zack removed his boots and coat. "I was at Cloud and Riku's helping the kid bake for the orphanage. Man, we must have made at least two hundred cookies." He motioned toward the tins. "I brought some home."

He glanced over and Leon still appeared annoyed. "What?"

The younger man stood. "You're on your own for dinner."

"Whoa, hold on," Zack reached out and took hold of Leon's arm. He turned the younger man toward him. "Look at me, Leon."

Steel-colored eyes met his coolly.

Zack smiled softly. "You really were worried."

Leon broke away. "You could have at least called."

The ex-SOLDIER watched Leon move toward the large picture window. "We didn't realize how heavy the snow was until Cloud came and told us. All three of us tried calling but the blizzard killed the signal."

Leon clearly wanted to remain angry but there was a softening to his expression. Zack wandered over and slipped his arms around the shorter man's waist. Leon sighed and with one hand, gripped Zack's upper arm. "What have you done to me?"

Zack frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

When Leon did not reply, Zack laughed and tightened his hold. He tilted his head and kissed below Leon's ear. They both watched the snow blow around outside.

"You know, I think Cloud had the right idea." Zack whispered.

"And what was that?"

"The second there was a break in the storm, he shoved those cookie tins at me and shoved me out the door saying that if he was going to get snowed in it was going to be with Riku alone." Warm breath ghosted across Leon's ear. "I think I'd much rather be snowed in with you."

Leon turned within Zack's arms and smiled. The raven-haired man gave him a deep kiss and pulled away. He grabbed one of the cookie tins and flopped down on the sofa. "Come on, you gotta try this new recipe Riku found! It's really good."

Leon blew out a breath, his smile increasing. He then joined his lover on the couch.


End file.
